St. Joseph, MO - McKendree University Women's Basketball saw a late push come up short Saturday afternoon, falling 76-69 at Missouri Western inside the MWSU Fieldhouse. The Bearcats move to 5-4 in the first calendar half of the year, while the Griffons improve to 4-7. McKendree erased multiple deficits, tied the game late in the fourth quarter, and stayed within one possession until the final minute.
Missouri Western jumped out to an early lead with some looks in transition, but McKendree was able to settle in behind a blazing start from
Baylie Parks, who scored off offensive rebounds and controlled the paint, often getting multiple three-point plays in the process.
Kyra Taylor added early production by attacking the lane and generating subsequent opportunities at the free throw line, while
Tessa Crawford dished out drive-and-kick assists that directly led to quality looks from three. Despite McKendree limiting Missouri Western in the half court for stretches, a late Griffon three off a turnover gave the hosts a 24-20 lead after one.
The Bearcats flipped momentum in the second quarter by forcing turnovers and converting immediately on the other end, including, yes, more three-point plays. Crawford pushed the pace and got the ball to both
Emma Slings and
Hannah Fenton for catch-and-shoot threes, while
Morgan Feil (coming off of a career game on Tuesday) drew fouls on drives to the rim and converted multiple free throws to keep pressure on the Griffons. McKendree continued to go to Parks inside, and as a result, Parks would nearly already have a double-double at halftime, tallying 18 points and 8 rebounds in the first 20 minutes of play. Meanwhile, McKendree also out-scored Missouri Western 15-9 to take a 35-33 lead clear back into the locker rooms.
Missouri Western answered after the half with a scoring surge, but McKendree stayed together thanks to more rebounding and more free throws. Parks continued to generate extra possessions with her offensive rebounding, while
Kylie Moeller knocked down a timely three-ball to halt a Griffon run. Taylor added points at the free throw line and Crawford finished a fast break layup off of a steal, but Missouri Western pieced together a decisive stretch of scoring from behind the arc to take a 56-50 lead into the fourth.
McKendree made its push in the final quarter by way of points off turnovers. Fenton hit a three off a Crawford assist, and
Madison Johnson finished in transition after a steal to cut the deficit. The Bearcats tied the game at 64-64 following a Moeller three, but Missouri Western answered with consecutive perimeter buckets and free throws. Parks and Feil combined to score inside late, keeping McKendree within a single possession, all the way up until the final minute before fouling needed to come into play, and the Griffons converted free throw tries to lock up the seven-point win.
BEARCAT INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Baylie Parks | 19 points, 16 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
Morgan Feil | 11 points, 4 rebounds
Kyra Taylor | 10 points, 4-4 free throws
Hannah Fenton | 9 points
Tessa Crawford | 7 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists
Kylie Moeller | 6 points
BEARCAT TEAM STATS
Field Goals | 22-of-61 (36.1%)
Three-Pointers | 4-of-27 (14.8%)
Free Throws | 21-of-28 (75.0%)
Rebounding | 44 (15 offensive, 29 defensive)
Assists | 12
Turnovers | 16
Steals | 7
Blocks | 0
Fouls | 14
Points in the Paint | Missouri Western, 28-22
Second Chance Points | McKendree, 13-11
Fast Break Points | Missouri Western, 24-6
Bench Scoring | McKendree, 28-19
WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE BEARCATS
vs. Lewis Flyers (5-6, 1-2 GLVC)
Friday, January 2nd, 2026 - 5:30 PM
at Statham Sports Center - Lebanon, IL
Watch Live ($) (GLVCSN)
Live Stats (Sidearm Sports)
Tickets (UniversityTickets)
